I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Yuanzi paused at the door for a moment before hearing the weak reply from inside the room.

He sighed helplessly, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't push the door open. Receiving his daughter's call last night was indeed surprising, and what he heard from Kiyose was unexpected, yet also reasonable. It wasn't that he couldn't understand Asuka's actions, but he still felt sorry for his daughter, which was why he hurriedly bought the earliest ticket home.

Since this has already happened, let's give the two children some space.

So, what is the real situation?

The familiar voice of Hiratsuka-sensei came through the phone. She had just received a call from Touko and then immediately called to check on Kiyose, who was on leave.

"I've gotten lost on the road of life."

Kiyose lay on the bed, holding her phone with the speakerphone on her forehead, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The person on the other end of the phone took a breath. "Are you kidding me?"

"No."

Kiyose's voice was as steady as ever, but Hiratsuka Shizuka sensed a deep sense of despondency, as if someone in middle age had suddenly lost their purpose in life.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"Please give me one day."

"Is it really okay for one person to be alone?"

I need to be alone for a while.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone. "Okay, just say so if you need anything from the teacher. However, you only have one day."

"Thank you, teacher."

After the call was disconnected, the room fell into a brief silence.

It was well past her usual wake-up time, and Kiyose hadn't eaten anything. She was very hungry, but didn't want to get up and go downstairs. It was as if all her strength had been drained away, and the voices of Asuka and Kasumigaoka kept playing in her ears.

Something stirred in the blankets. It crawled out of Kiyose's bed, then brazenly stepped on her and curled up in a ball against her chest.

It's a dumpling.

It felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

It wasn't the pressure from the dango, but from Asuka.

Kiyose reached out and hugged the dumpling tightly, trying to draw more warmth from it.

After quite some time, footsteps sounded outside the door again.

"Kiyose, get up and eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

This time, Yuanzi didn't leave, but instead pushed the door open and said, "I'm coming in."

The aroma of the omelet rice instantly filled the entire room, and as Touko approached the window step by step, the aroma became increasingly strong.

Kiyose, who had initially thought it wouldn't matter if she didn't eat, immediately felt a strong sense of hunger.

"That's too much..."

"It's good that it works," Yuanzi said with a smile, placing the tray by the bedside. "Go wash up."

Without saying a word, he chased Yui away and then dragged Kiyose into the bathroom.

Yuanzi sat quietly by the bed waiting, and inadvertently noticed the dried tear stains on the pillow.

Ugh……

Kiyose moved quickly, perhaps because of the temptation of the food. The semi-solid egg, cut open with a knife and served with flavorful tomato sauce, made one's appetite increase.

As is customary, deep-fried chicken pieces are hidden in the glistening, plump rice. The crispy outer shell and just the right amount of spices make Kiyose forget to chew for a moment.

Touko hurriedly pulled out several tissues to wipe Kiyose's face, which was wet with tears.

The more she wiped away her tears, the more tears flowed. Kiyose's vision blurred, and all she could see was the fried chicken nugget still lingering in her mouth, its overly familiar taste stimulating her taste buds.

Asuka learned to make fried chicken nuggets from Touko.

From initially shedding silent tears to gradually being unable to suppress her sobs, Kiyose was held in Touko's arms and comforted silently.

An unspeakable sense of grievance welled up in my heart.

Why should we believe whatever the other party says?

Why should I be so hurt by what she said?

Why should she be the only one who's heartbroken?

Why did she just leave without a second thought?

It was only then that Kiyose suddenly realized how unfamiliar he was with Asuka, as if they had only met for the first time yesterday.

They interacted with each other through glass.

Presumptuous familiarity, presumptuous understanding, presumptuous closeness.

Unexpectedly, they were never able to truly connect with each other from beginning to end.

The suppressed sobs pained Touko. She gently kissed Kiyose's forehead, comforting the trembling body in her arms.

Does Kiyose like Asuka?

Yuanzi felt her clothes being gripped tightly by a hand.

“Then go and talk to her about it,” Touko whispered gently in her daughter’s ear, her soft voice like a warm spring breeze. “Whether it’s what happened yesterday or the desire to play with Asuka.”

"Just tell Asuka how you feel, and she'll definitely hear it."

Kiyose shook his head in anguish.

"But if we don't say anything, the other party won't know. If we only rely on actions, it will be misunderstood."

“Although language can sometimes be a tool for lying, it can be a deceptive smoke or a hurtful blade, but,” Touko gently patted Kiyose’s back, “it is also the most direct external expression that reflects a person’s inner thoughts.”

"Sometimes, passing by each other may be a final farewell."

Doesn't Kiyose understand the deeper meaning of this sentence better than anyone else?

"Kiyose, don't be afraid, Mom will always be by your side."

Warm tears soaked Touko's shoulder.

..................................................................

Following her mother's orders, Kiyose, who had been staying at home all day, was kicked out to run errands. Carrying a plastic bag with the supermarket logo, she walked aimlessly down the street, the bottles and jars inside the bag clattering together.

Noisy children ran past her, and one of them accidentally bumped into her.

The child, who barely reached her waist, looked up and apologized to her with a silly grin. Kiyose could even see that the child was missing a tooth, and the apology, though slurred, was both silly and cute.

Kiyose was momentarily lost in thought.

The setting sun cast long shadows on Kiyose, and a gentle breeze from the riverbank stirred her clothes and hair. In that moment, she felt as if she had returned to the day she met Asuka many years ago.

That day, her encounter with Asuka was not actually accidental.

Actually, without Asuka's knowledge, Kiyose would always secretly come over to listen to Asuka play that unknown piece of music.

That day, Kiyose simply wanted to meet the performer who, despite playing terribly, persisted relentlessly.

Little did they know that this one meeting would lead to their future.

The familiar music drifted from the riverbank once again, so warm, familiar, yet strange.

Seeing the two figures under the bridge, Kiyose momentarily thought he saw Asuka and himself.

The music was no longer unfamiliar, but the musicians were no longer the same as before.

P.S.: Lalalala, it's so great to have money, even though I'll be broke again soon.

Chapter 83, Section 321: So Far Away

"Since Mr. Taki said that Natsuki will play, then that's fine."

Huang Qian, who was washing his hands by the sink in the practice room, heard a familiar voice. It was Asuka-senpai, who was in the storage room next door.

"But Nakagawa also said he would prefer Asuka to return."

This is Kaori-senpai.

Upon hearing what they were talking about, Huang Qian silently clenched his fists, suddenly recalling his conversation with his sister Mamiko that morning.

"He's just a high school student, but he acts like he knows everything."

"I want to walk the path I want to walk!"

"We should have said that back then..."

“Even if there is opposition, I should still say it out loud…”

“Of course she would say that,” Asuka’s voice rang out again. “Would she say something like ‘I want to play’ in this situation?”

"but--"

“I’ve made up my mind,” Asuka’s retort left Kaori speechless. “Since I’ve decided to leave the club, I need to focus on my studies and prepare for the exams.”

Why would you tell such a lie...?

Huang Qian gripped his schoolbag strap tightly and stood silently outside the door.

"Asuka," Ogasawara's voice was calmer than usual, "is this alright?"

"Really, is this all there is to it?"

Asuka smiled slightly. "Yes, that's enough."

Unable to listen any longer, Huang Qian strode out of the practice room and headed towards Class J of the first year.

"Um!" Standing at the door of the best-performing class in the entire school, Huang Qian's previously roused spirit instantly deflated. "Um... I'm looking for Tachibana Kiyoyori."

She reached out and waved discreetly at Reina, who was looking over, but Huang called out Kiyoyori's name instead. Perhaps because she was a little nervous, she missed the fleeting dissatisfaction in Reina's eyes.

"Kumiko? Is something the matter?"